Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
A reminder that the new Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season kicked off 1 September and the country is once again working to block potential entry pathways for the invasive pest to arrive in New Zealand.
There are revised import rules in place for vehicles, machinery, and parts – commodities that have been popular for hitchhiking bugs in the past. Compared to previous seasons, the revisions are small, but the main changes are:
Like previous seasons, the focus of Biosecurity New Zealand’s border clearance activity will be cargo that could hide aggregations of BMSB, particularly vehicles, machinery, and parts from identified risk
countries. Officers will carry out deck-by-deck vessel inspections. Further verification checks will be conducted as required, including agitation spraying to flush out any hidden bugs before cargo is unloaded, detector dog screening, and heat treatment.
Ultimately, vessels and cargo can be directed to leave New Zealand if contamination is found or if there is non-compliance with import requirements.
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
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